Delhi HC Allows Muslim Mahapanchayat on Dec 18

The Delhi High Court has allowed Muslim Mahapanchayat (mass meeting) Delhi on December 18, 2023, organized by ‘Mission Save the Constitution.’

Justice Subramonium Prasad granted the permission, but only if conditions set by the Delhi Police are met.

As part of the conditions, the meeting must not have more than 10,000 people, there must be no more than 6 speakers, and no one must not give any speech against the law or support hate speech. The organizer must also set up a CCTV control room and high-definition CCTV cameras that can record at the event.

The Delhi government’s lawyer, Arun Panwar informed the court that, the imposed conditions were meant to keep people safe in the area and maintaining smooth traffic movement.

The High Court disposed of the petition, emphasizing that no other department should raise concerns about the venue’s availability on the scheduled date of the program.

Earlier, on November 10, 2023, the petitioner had asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for the allotment of Ramlila Maidan on December 4, 2023, to conduct the Mahapanchayat.

The MCD responded that the venue could be allotted, subject to a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Police.

However, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kamla Market filed a counter affidavit saying that the police had already given permission for another group to hold an event at Ramlila Ground from December 3 to 15, 2023. This meant that the petitioner could not use the space on December 4, 2023.

The petitioner’s case comes after a case that was thrown out by the Delhi High Court on October 25, 2023.

The case was about the cancellation of permission for a large gathering at Ramleela Maidan. ‘Mission Save Constitution’ and its national convenor, Mehmood Pracha, put in the plea.

The challenge was against letters from the Deputy Commissioner of Police and the MCD that took back approval that had been given for an event to happen at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on October 29, 2023.

The petition said that the suspension was unfair and random because it happened without much thought or discussion with officials and after getting all the necessary permissions.